Alternative Chapter 36 for book 7
by J.A. Rolling
Summary: Contains a book 7 spoiler, do not read if you have not finished book 7!


Chapter 36 

Harry felt the cold, hard ground beneath him. He could hear the laughter and the shrieks of joy echoing through the dark night. Voldermort's thunderous voice was unmistakable above all others, "Check on him! See if he is dead!" Although it seemed to Harry that he had been speaking with Dumbledore for hours, he must have been away for only a few seconds of Earth time. As Harry heard footsteps approaching where he lay, he drew a deep breath and slowly began to rise.

Harry ignored the cries of disbelief from the Death Eaters and sought out the location of only one. He met the red-slit eyes of his eternal enemy whose gaunt face, lacking any form of human resemblance, somehow managed to show complete shock.

"Tom, " Harry began, "all boyish pretenses gone from his voice, knowing no longer fear of pain, death, or despair. "I have seen what becomes of us on the other side, and it is no good for you."

"Kill him!" screamed a Death Eater. "Shut him up!" bellowed another.

"Silence!" Voldermort thundered. "Leave us!"

"My Lord," cried Beatrix, "please, don't let us leave you…"

"Why?" sneered Voldermort, "if he did not die by my hand, what makes you think you can do better? Are you suggesting you are more powerful than I?"

"No, of course not My Lord, but please…"

"Leave at once!"

Beatrix shrank back from her enraged master, the last to snake away through the gnarled roots and vines covering the floor of the Forbidden Forest.

Voldermort had eyes for only Harry.

"So, you have come back from the dead to warn me of my eternal damnation, have you? I thought you were smarter than that, boy. I thought you knew I can not die."

"Yes," said Harry. "I am well aware that you split your soul 7 times and enclosed them in Horcruxes. As you know the diary, the stone, the locket, and the cup have been destroyed. What you may not know is that while your curse did not kill me, it did destroy a part of you that was in me, in my scar. Only you and Nagani are left, and right about now Neville has speared her with the sword of Gryffindor."

A slight sign of panic crossed Voldermort's face, but he instead threw his head back and let out a mocking laugh.

"I am still the most powerful wizard in the world! No one can touch me! I will still survive!"

"You will die," said Harry calmly. "You cannot kill me and I will not stop until you have called off all of the terror you and your Death Eaters have caused. This will not only benefit our world, but it will be an opportunity to save yourself some of the pain you will feel once you leave this Earth."

"What did you see?" asked Voldermort, eyeing Harry suspiciously.

Harry did not have to answer because Voldermort could see it in Harry's eyes. Pity. Harry pitied Voldermort, the same wizard who killed his parents and his friends, who waged war on the wizard and muggle world.

"I'm sorry, Tom."

For a brief instant, Voldermort's face changed into the young Tom Riddle, eyes full of hope and ambition to be someone great. To leave his orphaned existence, without family, without friends, without love.

But Voldermort's hallow face was back with a blazing look of loathing for Harry.

"You fool! Do you think you can outsmart I? How do you think I could believe that you feel sorry for me? That you want to warn me?"

"I am not trying to do anything," said Harry, "other than to offer you an opportunity to make amends for your past. I know you cannot bring my parents back or Cedric or Mad Eye Moody, but you can stop the killing now. Stop it forever. You made me an orphan. I grew up in a house without love just like you. But I was lucky to have it etched in every part of my being, flowing throughout my veins. I knew love, and I later find out my mum's love is what protected me from you. Only love is real, Tom. Your power is nothing without it."

Never knowing love, Voldermort could not understand what Harry was saying. How could love be more real than the feel of the cool, strong wand in his hand or more powerful than the curses he could utter to end a man's life or make him under his control?

Two events occurred simultaneously.

Harry said, "I love you."

Voldermort said, "_Avada Kedavra_."

From the tower of Hogworts castle, green and white light could be seen flashing above the tree line.


End file.
